White Butterflies and Crows
by Aster Uchiha
Summary: Itachi realizes happiness and life are fleeting... Destiny and fate are undeniable. Oneshot, please rerview.


_I have no clue what this is... It's a dumb one shot done purely for the joy of writing it. I typed it in documents because I was babysitting. It's not well edited, and the writing it rather choppy. My apologies. I will get back to my other fics as soon as I can work up enthusiasm for them._

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Taking one last deep breath, Itachi memorized the sweet, warm scent of the dango shop. It was pouring outside, and his family was most likely wondering where he was. He shook his head slightly, realizing the only reason they would worry about such a thing was because of the fuss Sasuke was undoubtedly raising in his absence. The boy wouldn't be silenced until Itachi had graced him with his presence. And it was that resigned motivation that gave him the resolve to step into the cascading rain.

It was, literally, pouring. The water was falling in curtains off overhangs, and if it wasn't so inconveniencing, he might have revered in the sight of it. Itachi started homeward, sticking to thin pathways of dry ground that snaked in front of shops. He sighed, knowing it was pointless. It was impossible to make it all the way home without leaving the safety of the local rooftops. Sooner or later, Itachi would have to venture into storm to complete his trek.

He had been walking sometime, and he was anticipating the cold feel of the rain. Moments before he stepped into it, it began to lighten. It wasn't much, but he wasn't soaked through as quickly as he had expected. The storm continued to fade in a obnoxiously accommodating way. It was not long before only clouds were left.

The sky was gray, and the smell of damp earth was all around. Itachi slowed his pace, no longer caring about how his hair was slicked to his jaw, or the way his clothes pulled on his skin with each movement. There weren't any nature related sounds within Konoha, and it was still. All the noise of people was locked away in houses and warm shops. He was the only being out in the somber dampness.

Itachi sighed to himself. He seemed to do that often, and it was becoming a bad habit. To fill his misty mind, he took to examining his surroundings. His 'acute senses' and 'excellent observation skills' had their roots in pure, unchanging boredom. Being bored out of his mind had done wonders for his abilities as a shinobi. Entertaining a vague train of thought in the back of his mind, he wondered if that was real difference between himself and Sasuke.

His brother was still young, but his wonder and amazement at the world around him seemed to grow with him, instead of fade. People and places had never interested Itachi. Life in general had been nothing more than an irritating past time to him. At thirteen, he was searching for the bigger purpose of his existence._ If there is one..._ He thought disdainfully.

He let the resent at his lack of world changing use fall to the wayside as a butterfly flitted from under an overhang. It was smaller than most, and a captivating, untainted white. By the way it flew, Itachi could tell the rain had wet its wings. _The water must have seeped through the roof's tiles. _He mused.

The creature beat it's wings as furiously as it could, but to no avail. It sailed downward in a graceful spiral. Barely a few feet above the ground, it caught itself, continuing into the sky desperately. Itachi waited, completely still, unable to tear his eyes from the butterfly's perilous struggle. It kept fighting, even though he was sure it would lose. Swerving severely, the butterfly set its course for him. Itachi stood. It faltered again, struggling just to stay aloft. Inches away from him, it collapsed.

Before it could fall to the ground and completely soak its wings, Itachi leaned down to catch it. Cupping it in his hands, he realized that if it had hit the dirt and wet its wings, it would never have flown again. It would have died. Itachi let a small smile grace his face, comforted by the thought of saving it.

It tried to beat its wings against his palms. He realized the butterfly was bigger than he had initially thought. Pity for it filled him, but was quickly replaced by an idea. Itachi blew on the butterfly's wings softly, hoping it help them dry. It seemed to work like magic. In seconds, it was testing its renewed wings in his hands.

Itachi waited for it to take flight. The butterfly stayed. He smiled again, making himself feel stupid and childish. Tucking away his pride and accomplishment, he waved the small creature away. It took off toward the clouds. Itachi watched it flutter into the gray sky, feeling completely content.

He was about to walk away and rush home, but then he caught sight of a crow. He grimaced. Crows weren't the most attractive of creatures, especially next to the white butterfly he had just held. He watched it ruefully. The black birds were larger than most around here, and their beauty lay more in thier sleek, smooth movements, used in scavenging and hunting things weaker than themselves. Itachi didn't care for them.

The crow circled over head. As it cawed, it seemed to call out a warning. Itachi became rigid, rooted to his spot. The white butterfly was still ascending towards the clouds, and the crow was watching it. As if making sure Itachi was out of the way, the crow glanced back and dove up after the butterfly. In the distance, a black streak chased a fluttering white splotch. Itachi swallowed hard as the crow caught the butterfly. One snap of its beak, and it was gone.

He felt his momentary happiness with the butterfly wither and fade. His stomach turned, and for some reason beyond him, he had a strong urge to break down and sob in the middle of the street. Grinding his teeth, Itachi kicked at the dirt and set off to his house.

A few minutes later, he pushed open the door. Sasuke came bounding around the corner, just as he expected. And even though he was braced for it, the flying hug he was wrapped in nearly knocked him backwards. The scene in the sky faded from Itachi's mind, and he fell into the familiar routine of humoring his younger brother. He let Sasuke grab his hand and lead him through the house as his daily chatter distracted his anxious mind.

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Sighing and leaning back against the stone chair, Itachi let the memory drift away. The rest of the day had been forgotten as it merged with other similar afternoons. The irony of the moment in the street stuck him now, and it seemed like a sign in the form of a riddle in retrospect. Vaguely he realized, even if he had somehow decifiered it, there was nothing he could do to change it. What was done was done. There was no way to go back, and there never had been any way to prevent it.

_At least it's almost over._Itachi straightened up ever so slightly, feeling Sasuke's chakra as he made his way towards him. It had been eight years since everything was set in motion, and now it was almost ready to come to a halt. All the pieces had fallen into place properly so far, but he would still have to be careful, even near the end.

Sasuke walked into the room, and Itachi set his face to pretend seeing his little brother didn't mean the world to him. The curtain was about to close on his final act, and he couldn't help but be glad of it.

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_I was listening to_ 'Amaranth' _by Nightwish while typing most of this. I think it fits the Uchihas. Sasuke is Itachi's amaranth... Maybe. _

_Anyway, please review. I need feed back._


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